Nu frewt euch lieben Christen gmeyn
A Call to Rejoice in Grace
Christians are invited to celebrate the costly redemption won by God.
Rejoice together now, dear Christians, and let's leap for joy. Let's sing with confidence, all together, with joy and love, about all God has done for us and the sweet wonder he has worked. He won it for us at a very great cost.1
The Depth of Human Misery
The speaker confesses their total helplessness, bondage to sin, and the failure of their own works.
I lay captive to the devil; in death, I was lost. My sin tormented me night and day—the sin I was born into. And I kept falling deeper into it. There was nothing good in my life. Sin had taken possession of me. My good works counted for nothing; they were corrupted, too. My free will hated God's judgment; it was dead to everything good. Anguish drove me to despair, until nothing was left for me but death. I had to sink into hell.
The Father's Compassionate Resolve
God the Father hears the cry of misery and commissions his Son to bring salvation.
Then God took pity on my overwhelming misery, which had lasted so long.2 He remembered his mercy. He decided to send me help.3 He turned his fatherly heart toward me. For him, this was truly no small matter. He gave up what was most precious to him.4 He said to his beloved Son, “The time has come to show mercy. Go now, precious crown of my heart, and be the salvation of the poor. And rescue him from the misery of sin. Suffer a bitter death in his place,5 and let him live with you.”
The Son's Humility and Victory
Christ descends to earth, takes on human form, and offers himself as a substitute to conquer death and sin.
The Son obeyed his Father and came down to me on earth.✦ Born of a virgin, pure and tender, he was to become my brother.✦ He exercised his power in the deepest secrecy.6 He went about in a poor human form like mine.✦7 He intended to ensnare the devil. He said to me, “Hold fast to me.” Now you will prevail. I give myself entirely for you. I will fight for you there.8 For I am yours, and you are mine. And wherever I am, you will be there with me. The enemy will not tear us apart.” He will shed my blood and take my life; I will suffer all this for your good. Hold fast to that in firm faith: my life swallows up death. My innocence bears your sins. That is how you have been saved.
The Promise of the Spirit and Legacy
Christ promises the Holy Spirit as a comforter and teacher, while charging the believer to guard the gospel.
I will go to heaven, to my Father. When I leave this life, I'll be your teacher. I'll give you the Spirit, who will comfort you in distress. And he will teach you to know me well. And lead you into the truth. You must do and teach what I have done and taught, so that God's kingdom may grow. For his praise and honor. Guard yourself against human rules, for they corrupt this precious treasure.9 This is the final legacy I leave you.10
Read the original Latin
Nv frewt euch lieben Christen gmeyn / vnd last vns frölich spryngen. Das wir getrost vnd al ynn eyn / mit lust vnd liebe syngen. Was Got an vns gewendet hat vnd seyne susse wunder that. Gar theur hat ers erworben.
Dem teuffel ich gefangen lag / ym tod war ich verloren. Mein sund mich qwellet nacht vnd tag / darynn ich war geboren. Ich fyel auch ymmer tieffer dreyn. Es war keyn guts am leben meyn. Die sund hat mich besessen.
Mein gute werck die golten nicht / es war mit yhn verdorbenn. Der frey will hasset Gotts gericht / er war zum gut erstorben. Die angst mich zu verzweifeln treib / das nichts dan sterben bey mir bleyb. Zur hellen must ich syncken.
Da yamert Gott yn ewigkeyt / mein elend vbermassen. Er dacht an seyn barmhertzigkeit. Er wolt mir helffen lassen. Er wand zu mir das vater hertz. Es war bey yhm furwar keyn schertz. Er ließ syn bestes kosten.
Er sprach zu seynem lieben son / die zeyt yst hie zurbarmen. Farhyn meyns hertzen werde kron / vnnd sey das heyl der armen. Vnd hylff yhm aus der sunden nott. Erwurg fur yhn den bittern todt. Vnd laß yhn mit dir leben.
Der son dem vater gehorsam ward / er kam zu mir auff erden. Von eyner yungfraw reyn vnnd tzart / er solt mein bruder werden. Gar heymlich furtt er seyn gewalt. Er gieng ynn meyner armen gestalt. Den teuffel wolt er fangen.
Er sprach zu mir halt dich an mich. Es solt dir ytzt gelingen. Ich geb mich selber gantz fur dich. Da will ich fur dich ryngen. Denn ich byn deyn vnd du byst meyn. Vnd wo ich bleib da soltu seyn. Vnns soll der feind nicht scheyden.
Vergiessen wirt er mir meyn blut / dazu mein leben rawben / das leyde ich dir alles zu gutt / das halt mit festem glauben / den todt verschlingt das leben mein. Meyn vnschult tregt die sunden deyn. Da bistu selig worden.
Gen hymmel zu dem vatter meyn. Far ich von dysem leben / da will ich seyn der meyster deyn / den geyst will ich dir geben / der dich yn trubniß trösten soll. Vnd lernen mich erkennen wol. Vnd yn der warheit leitten.
Was ich gethan hab vnd geleert das solt du thun vnnd leeren / damit das reich Gotts werd gemehrt. Zu lob vnd seynen ehren. Vnd hut dich fur der menschen satz / dauon verdirbt der edle schatz. Das laß ich dir zur letze.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Phil.2.8 — And he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
- ↩Heb.2.11-Heb.2.17 — For both the one who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all from one; for this reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers. Heb.2.12 — saying, 'I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the assembly I will sing your praise.' Heb.2.13 — And again, 'I will put my trust in him.' And again, 'Behold, I and the children God has given me.' Heb.2.14 — Since, therefore, the children have shared in blood and flesh, he himself also in like manner partook of the same, so that through death he might destroy the one having the power of death, that is, the devil, Heb.2.15 — and free those who, through fear of death, were subject to slavery all their lives Heb.2.16 — For surely it is not angels that he helps, but the seed of Abraham he helps. Heb.2.17 — Therefore, in all things he had to become like his brothers, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
- ↩Phil.2.7-Phil.2.8 — but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, and appearing as a human being. Phil.2.8 — And he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Notes
- 1 ↩The pronoun “it” anticipates the deliverance described in the following stanza; “at a very great cost” preserves the costly-redemption sense of “gar theur.”
- 2 ↩Literally, “Then God pitied my misery beyond measure in eternity”; here “in eternity” is understood idiomatically as prolonged duration.
- 3 ↩“He would have help given to me” anticipates the Father’s sending of his Son in the following stanza.
- 4 ↩Literally, “He let it cost him his best,” referring in context to the Father’s giving of his Son.
- 5 ↩Literally, “be strangled” or “choke”; here it forcefully expresses undergoing death on another’s behalf.
- 6 ↩The early German “furtt er seyn gewalt” means that he exercised or wielded his power; “heymlich” emphasizes that he did so secretly or in hiddenness.
- 7 ↩Literally, “in my poor form”; the line presents Christ as assuming the speaker's lowly human condition.
- 8 ↩Early New High German “ringen” can mean struggle, contend, or fight; “fight” fits the conflict with the devil in the surrounding stanza.
- 9 ↩The “precious treasure” is not explicitly identified here; in context it most likely means Christ's teaching or the gospel entrusted to the believer.
- 10 ↩Early New High German “zur Letze” denotes something left at parting—a final gift, remembrance, or legacy.
Erfurt Enchiridion (Early Lutheran Hymns) companion
Never lose the rhythm again
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